The Western Atlantic Sea Turtle Symposium; 

 Organization and Operation (Frederick Berry) 



The History of WATS I 



This history was reported by Bullis, Bacon, and Berry in 

 Bacon et al. (1984). The English version of the Proceedings was 

 published in three volumes in April 1984. The Spanish version 

 was published in October 1987. Copies of both the English and 

 Spanish versions of the Proceedings of WATS I are available from: 

 Sea Grant Program RUM/UPR, P.O. Box 5000, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico 

 00709-5000 and the World Wildlife Fund, 1250 24th St. NW, Suite 

 500, Washington, DC 20037. 



The History of WATS II 



Recommendations for conducting WATS II were made by the 

 officials and participants of WATS I. An Executive Committee for 

 WATS II was organized and consisted of: Manuel Murillo, 

 President; Manuel Hernandez Avila, Adminstrator; Robert Lankford, 

 Executive Secretary; Frederick Berry, Secretary; committee 

 members Harvey Bullis, Glenda Medina Cuervo, Jose Ottenwalder, 

 Henri Reichart, Rafael Steer Ruiz, and Horace Walters. This 

 committee, which also served as a Steering Committee, met in 

 Miami, Florida; Castries, St. Lucia; Panama City, Panama; and 

 Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 



WATS II data collection and reporting contracts were placed 

 with more than 2 individuals and organizations within the WATS 

 area. Contracts were awarded to produce biological synopses for 

 the Kemp's ridley, olive ridley and leatherback sea turtles; and 

 preparation of a biological synopsis for the loggerhead sea 

 turtle was endorsed and encouraged. The Loggerhead Biological 

 Synopsis was published by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) 

 May 1988, Kenneth Dodd, author, and is available through the U.S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 1306, Albuguerque, New Mexico 

 87103. Plans are in negotiation to publish the other three 

 Biological Synopses through Food and Agriculture Organization of 

 the United Nations (FAO) , Rome, Italy. Drafts of all four were 

 available to participants at the 1987 Symposium. 



A contract was awarded to prepare a copy of a revised third 

 edition of the Manual of Sea Turtle Research and Conservation 

 Techniques. The English and Spanish versions of editions one and 

 two are out-of-print. Edition three is being edited by Roderic 

 Mast and Frederick Berry with contributions from many colleagues. 

 Edition three should be published during 1989 and should be 

 available for sale through: World Wildlife Fund and the 

 Conservation Foundation, 1250 24th St. N.W. , Suite 500, 

 Washington D.C. 20037. 



